Improvement in apparatus for saving gold



inthe battery.4

Over one end of the tank A, and placed within or l tmc can.

N 'llliaiw CHARLES soHorIELn KERNVILLE, uararolnvmf 'Letters Patent No.`102,870, dated '10, 1870.

, IMPRQVEMENT :nv APPARATUS PoR SAYING GOLD.

. the art or s'ciencet'o which it most nearly appertains to make and usemyy said invention or improvements without further invention orexperiment.

My invention relates to animproved'apparatus to be attachedtostamp-batteries, and through which the ore pulp is passed in order toseparate the valuable portion from the gangue orrefuse matter with whichit is mixedwhen it comes from the batteries.

In order to explain my invention, that others can make and nsethe same,reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, invwhich the same letters indicate identical partswherever they occur in each ofthe figures.

`A represents a large tank or box, which is divided into twocompartmentaB and O, by the partition E, the containingcapacityv of eachcompartment being regulated according tothe number of stamps employedsupportedk by suitable frame-work, are two hopper` y shaped boxes, F andG, the one corresponding with the other, and one being placed over eachof the compartments B.

Each of these boxes is provided with a false bottom, H, placed ashort'distance above the usual bottom.

These false bottoms may be made of sheet metal, and are perforatedvwithholes sulcientl y large to allow l the particles ci' metal oramalgam to pass through to the space between the two bottoms. '.lheperforations inthe bottom ofthe box into which the pulp is rstintroduced are iliade larger than those in the adjoining box, iuconsequence of the larger and heavier particles being first precipitatedto the bottom. 1

.Clear water is first introduced into the boxes F and G'through thepipeI, which communicates with vthem between the real and false bottoms.

The water thus introduced boils up through the perforations in the falsebottoms and receives the pulp as it is admitted into thebox Fthrough'thefspout J,

the boiling or agitation ofthe water holding it in sns-` `pension untilthe heavier particles of metal, amalgam,

and quicksil'ver are precipitated thronghthe `perforations in the falsebottom into the space below.

The finer and lighter particles, whose specific gravity is notsuliicient to precipitate'V them through the upward-moving current ofwater, are heldin the ebulli- `tion until thewater hasvrisen to the topof the box,

wherc'they are carried over into the box G through the 'communicatingchannel K, where they are again The Schedule referred to iu'theseLetters Patent and making part o! the saaie.

subjected to the same process, but in'a 'milder form, owing toit-hesmaller size of the perforations', the ebullition of the water in thisbox'being just sulicient to settle all rm and lighter particles to thebottom.

The waste or remaining debris is carried oli by the water throughthedischarge-spout L, over the end of the box G.

Ifit is ascertained that valuable mattei' still remains with the slime,a third or fourth box may be used in the same manner, but two willgenerally be'found to be sucient to accomplish the work.

The ebullition of the water in the boxi F stops they amalgam and aboutthree-fourths of the sulphurets, while that in the box G arrests theremainder.

lhe quicksilver and amalgam remain in the bottom of the box, and neednot be' cleaned up oftener than once in four weeks.

When .the cocks M M are all closed, the pressure is too strong to admitanything except j quicksilver or coarse amalgam through the screen, sothat it becomesl necessary to open them'in the box F .until the sul-yphurets and sand begin to appear with the water and drop. into the'tankbelow.

.lhe holes O O in the tank A, with the exception of one at the top, mustbe closed, to prevent the sul- `until the tank is full.

As soon as the compartment B is full, the cocks M M of box G are opened,so .as to draw off the sand, while the cocks M 'M in the box F arenearly closed, but still admitting asmall stream of water into the tank,which, as the pressure up through the screen becomes strong, causes thewater inthe tank to become clear and free from sand.

. The plugs P are now all removed from the end of the tank, and thesulphurets and sand allowed to pass out into therslnice or troughs Q,but the quantity oi' water used to force them down is so small that the'heaviest portion is lodged along the bottom of .the sluice until. it ishalf or two-thirds full, when a little more water is applied, and thematter in the sluice assumes au undulating motion, forminglittle sandac- `which are twice the weight of the sand, 'to the bottom, i andmoving the sand onward down the sluice and out at the lower end.

`Thetank R is situated at a distance from the tanks A and B, and on asomewhat lower level, the sluice Q serving to convey the tailings fromone tothe other.-

The lower end ofthe sluice passes directly across the top of the tank R,and is provided with gates S andl,

placed in the side which directs the stream according to theiradjustment. The process above described is continued until the tank A isnearly empty, when the plugs I are replaced to prevent the furtheregress of sand, the tank is allowed to fill with water, and the samestream of clear water allowed to resume' itseourse down the sluice untilthe sand is completely worked out, and the mass of clean sulphurets,which have been all this time accumulating on the bottom, follow theretiring sand down the sluice.

AS the mass in the sluice approaches the lower tank R some of theforemost and lighter sulphurets are still mingled with somev coarse,heavy sand. This, as it approaches, is admitted into the secondapartment of the lower tank R through the gat'e S, the gate :T remainingclosed until the foremost. of the clean sulphurets are opposite to it,when it is also opened and placed across the 'sluice,and the sulphurctsadmitted into the lower tank, apartment It.

The gates S and .'l are-so arranged that they can bc either turned so asto close the gap in the side of thc sluiee, or be swung around so as tostand across the sluice and close it, turning the contents of the sluioethrough the gap so that it will fall into the tanks below. As' soon asthe sluice is empty, the gates are turned so as to close the gap in theside, and the water has again a free passage through the sluice.

A rie about one inch in height may be placed in the sluice just abovethe lower tank, which should be removed as the sulphurets approach it.

,When this is accomplished, the cocks M M in the box F are again openedso as to admit the sand into the tanks beneath it, and the cocks M M inthe box G are nearly closed, the plugs P withdrawn from the lower tankapartment R, and the sand and sulphurets subjected to the same process,as above described.

The sulphurets in the apartment R may be saved, perfectly free fromsand, and canl be worked to great advantage by the chlorine process,while those in the apartment U are mixed with coarse sand and should besubmitted to some separate process for the extraetion of the gold.

What I claim, and desirevto secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1.v'Ihehopper-shaped boxes F and G, communicating, as above described,with their perforated false bottoms H and exit-cocks vM M',substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the subdivided tank A. and lower tanks R, theconnecting,r sluice or sluices Q with their adjustable `gates S and T,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof` I have hereunto set vmy hand and seal.

Witnesses: CHARLES SCHOFIELD. [L s.]

A. BROWN, O, A. Porn.

